Hermione's Busy Sick Day
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: Hermione is sick but doesn't have time to be sick. Set in her busy third Hogwarts year. Just a little drabble I wrote during a sleepless night.


**Hermione's Busy Sick Day**

**by Healer Pomfrey**

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._

_I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes!_

* * *

Hermione slowly dragged herself out of the Great Hall, sighing as she unobtrusively pulled the chain with the time turner out from under her blouse and pondered which class she should attend first. '_Divination, Arithmancy or Runes? I wished it was already lunchtime_,' she thought. In fact, she didn't feel up to attending any class, since she had a terrible headache and her nose was running badly ever since she had dragged herself out of bed earlier.

She decided to attend Divination first, knowing that her condition would probably worsen over the hours, and it would be better to have the first class together with her observing friends than later classes. To her surprise, she noticed that Harry was absent. "Where is Harry?" she whispered in surprise.

"McGonagall took him to the hospital wing last night, because he was running a fever," Ron whispered back.

'_Oh well, no wonder that I caught that cold_,' Hermione thought in exasperation. '_I really don't have time to be sick right now_.' She tried to concentrate on her classes, realising soon that it had been a mistake to attend her easiest class first. Unable to pay the needed attention in her Arithmancy class, the third of the classes that took place simultaneously, she lost two House points and even managed to arrive at her Defence class ten minutes late.

Lucky as she seemed to be that morning, instead of Professor Lupin Professor Snape was teaching the class and took five points from Gryffindor for her tardiness.

"I'b sorry, sir," she replied dully, realising that her eyes must have swelled to at least five times their normal size. '_Werewolves?_' she mused in confusion. '_I thought we would be learning about hinkepanks today. Why else would I've studied until two in the morning in spite of my headache?_'

Without even thinking about raising her hand, she asked the professor, earning a sneer and a loss of points in return. However, before she could even count how many House points she had lost that morning, the professor asked a question, to which she could reply.

"A berebolb caddot choose if he badts to tradsforb; he just turds idto a wolf, bhile ad Adimagus cad tradsforb billiggly."

"Ms. Granger, if you..."

Hermione completely tuned out the professor's tirade, resolving to not say anything else before the end of the class. '_I can't speak properly anyway_,' she thought, sighing.

'_A visit to the hospital wing might be in order_,' the annoying little voice at the back of her head spoke up.

'_No, I'm not sick, and I don't have time to be sick anyway_,' Hermione shut it up quickly.

'_You could use the time turner, and no one would even notice anything. A Pepperup potion might do wonders_.'

'_Oh just shut up and let me try to concentrate on the class_,' Hermione thought in desperation, fiercely rubbing her achy eyes.

"Ms. Granger, no idea?" she suddenly heard the professor sneer, casting him a shocked glance from glassy brown eyes.

"I'b sorry, Professor. Could you please repeat the questiod? I..."

"If you can't pay attention in class, you'll have to do your work in detention. Stay after class, Ms. Granger."

"But Professor, I'b really sorry, add I probise to pay attedtiod dow, but I dod't habe tibe. I deed to study for all by classes, add..." She noticed the heat flow into her head as she became upset.

"You will have time enough after your detention," the professor said evenly.

A violent shiver shook her body, making her realise that the classroom seemed to be as cold as the professor's voice. "Yes sir," Hermione replied, terrified.

"I'll wait for you," Ron said surprisingly gently and waited in the doorframe, while Hermione slowly approached the professor.

"I'b sorry, sir," she apologized for the umpteenth time, causing the professor to throw her a glare.

"If you are not in a condition to follow a class, you should go and pay Madam Pomfrey a visit. If you not decide to follow this advice, I'll see you at seven o'clock sharp in my office," Snape said sternly.

"Yes sir," Hermione replied, resolving to put a few layers of jumpers under her school robes before heading to the dungeons.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

"Thagk you for waitigg, Rod. I'b goigg back to Gryffiddor to take a short dap though," Hermione informed Ron when they reached the entrance hall. "I'll see you id History of Bagic." With that she retreated to her dormitory and took a well needed nap, until Ginny came and shook her shoulder.

"Hermione, Ron sent me to wake you up. Are you feeling all right? He said History of Magic was just over and Care of Magical Creatures was going to begin soon."

Hermione groaned and thanked the girl profusely for waking her up, noticing that she felt slightly dizzy as she slowly brought herself into an upright position. '_I should use the time turner_,' she thought and did so, winning about fifteen minutes, which she used to slowly walk down to Hagrid's hut for her last afternoon class. She somehow survived the class, glad that they could silently work on their flubberworm projects, and afterwards, she skipped dinner in order to take a short nap before she had to attend her detention. '_Detention_,' she thought horrified, not able to recall having detention any time before. '_Well, everything is a first sometime_,' she mused wisely as she dragged herself down to the dungeons, arriving in front of the Potions Master's office at ten minutes to seven.

In spite of the several layers of clothes she was wearing, Hermione found the air in the dungeons extremely cold. She leaned against the wall next to the office and let herself sink down to the floor, resting her achy head against the cool stone wall that felt good to her burning head.

"Ms. Granger," Snape said in an uncharacteristically soft voice as he suddenly approached his office from the direction of the staircase leading to the entrance hall. "You're well in time."

"I'b sorry, sir," Hermione apologized once more as she slowly scrambled to her feet and followed the professor into his office.

The Slytherin Head motioned for her to take a seat in front of his desk and placed a parchment in front of her. "Write each of these sentences one hundred times," he instructed her.

"Yes sir," Hermione replied quietly and set to work.

'_I will only speak in class when it is my turn_,' was the first sentence, and the second one read, '_If I am too ill to follow a class, I will go to the hospital wing_.'

Hermione frowned. "Excuse be, sir..."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "One hundred times each. Is that difficult?"

"Ah, doe, sir, I'b sorry," Hermione quickly replied and began to write her sentences.

The Potions Master observed her closely, taking in her flushed cheeks and the dark rings around her eyes that were not alert as usual but dull and glazed over, before he turned his attention to the parchments in front of him and began to grade tests.

Apart from Hermione's occasional sneezing and the sounds of the quills scratching over the parchments, the Potion Master's office remained silent for nearly two hours, before Hermione said in a small voice, "I'b fidished, Professor."

Snape reached out for the parchment and glanced at his student's clear handwriting. "Very well then," he stated, raising an eyebrow. "Did you learn anything by writing these sentences? Let's begin with the first sentence."

Hermione swallowed hard, noticing terrified that her throat was becoming to hurt badly. "It doesd't batter if I raise by had or dot; you bod't ask be adyway," she replied quietly.

Snape sighed. "I am well aware of the fact that you know all the answers anyway," he began to explain in a much gentler voice that held no malice. "However, it is my job to keep the other students on their toes and make them learn something as well. Believe me, it would be much easier and relaxing for me if I merely asked you every time."

"Oh, all right," Hermione replied, realising that she couldn't keep her eyes open much longer. '_If only my eyes didn't hurt so badly, and my ears are totally clogged up_,' she thought, feeling absolutely annoyed.

"Very well then, off to the second sentence," Snape proceeded in the same soft, silky voice he had been using the whole evening. "Are you ready to leave?"

Hermione threw him a surprised look. '_Leave?_' she wondered. '_Is my detention over?_'

Apparently, she had uttered the question aloud, because the Potions Master replied, "The first part of your detention is over; however, you still have to serve the second part of your detention, which you will serve with Madam Pomfrey."

Hermione looked terrified at the teacher from half-open, glassy eyes, finally understanding what he was implying. "Oh doe, Professor, I'b fide. Please, bay I write bore setedces?"

"You're clearly fine, Ms. Granger," Snape sneered and opened the drawer of his desk, producing a very old looking Muggle thermometer. "Open up and keep it under your tongue. We're going to make a deal. If your temperature is below thirty-eight degrees, you may return to your common room; however, if it exceeds thirty-eight degrees, you'll still serve your second part of the detention with Madam Pomfrey."

Feeling too bad to protest anymore, Hermione wearily adjusted the cold glassy device under her tongue and closed her eyes, tiredly leaning her heavy head against the nearby bookshelf, until she was brought back to reality as the device beeped. She pulled the thing out and automatically laid it into the professor's outstretched hand.

"I won," the professor announced. "38.8 degrees. Please follow me."

Hermione wearily dragged herself out into the cold corridor, unconsciously leaning against the professor's arm that gently steadied her and led her straight to the bed next to Harry in the hospital wing.

Sighing in relief, Hermione stretched out on the bed and nestled deep into the covers, which Snape gently pulled up to her chin. '_The second part of my detention is the best,_' she mused. '_I think I like detentions_.'

**The End**

_Just a little drabble that I wrote during a sleepless night..._**  
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